Thursday, April 05, 2012, 16:43

Target oven is coated with TaC.  The oven is wrapped with 3 Ta-heat shields.

The chamber is currently being pumped down.  Vac @ high 10e-5 Torr.  Heater will be turned on once the pressure is gone down to low 10e-6. 

TGHT will be heated up to 820A.

**** Sintering is postponed until the situation with the ventilation in the lab06 is cleared. ****

 Friday, May 04, 2012, 16:59

The short-term solution  for improving the ventilation system and for the safety in operating the evaporators has been implement.  The test results was reviewed and approved by the committee.  The labs (06 and 07) are now back in operational. 

Friday, May 04, 2012, 17:03

Pumping down evaporator, currently a 2.4e-5 Torr.

Turned on TGHT, and stepped up to 85A.  Pressure remained at low e-5 Torr. 

Initiated Auto-heating at 0.5A/min to Max current 820A.  Parameter set:  Increasing current if Vac <4.0e-8 Torr, Backing current if Vac >5.0e-8 Torr.

 Monday, May 07, 2012, 10:38

At 820A, the TaC coating only seemed to have partially sinterred.  Raised TGHT up to 900A and heated for >6hrs.  The vacuum continued to increase as the target heater was raised; that indicated the sintering reaction was ongoing.  (See attachment #1: Targetoven_TaCsintered_acrchive.jpg).

The auto-cool down was initiated last night.  TGHT is now at 0A.  The chamber will be vented.